Greg McElroy tabs Michael Penix Jr. as 'runaway favorite' for 2023 Heisman Trophy

Getting a big win on the national stage can do a lot for a player’s Heisman Trophy campaign. Nobody had a better Saturday from that perspective than Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Taking down Oregon and cementing themselves as the Pac-12’s top team will be something that carries throughout the rest of the season.

With the win, Penix jumped up the board as the Heisman Trophy favorite. But ESPN’s Greg McElroy would argue he did not even play great against Oregon. There were a few throws missed by Washington’s star but team success has played a major role in Heisman Trophy voting in recent years.

“I actually think Penix, looking back and watching the game back there was a lot of missed opportunities in that game,” McElroy said during ESPN’s College Football Live on Tuesday. “So to see that reaction from Heisman voters, he’s now the runaway favorite at -140 to win the Heisman Trophy. Y’all, he didn’t even play his best game. That’s how good Michael Penix is. He played like a B, B-plus game.

“Missed some receivers there in the second half where they could have extended some drives. I think he got a little greedy in the second half, actually, by kind of forcing the ball downfield a little bit when there were guys open underneath.”

Desmond Howard got in on the conversation as well, saying Caleb Williams‘ performance against Notre Dame likely played a role in Penix becoming the favorite. Williams was not very good against the Fighting Irish and was probably part of the reason why USC was on the losing end.

“There’s a kneejerk reaction when you have a big win on national TV like that,” Howard said. “And then, Caleb Williams throws three interceptions in the first half. So that’s why Michael Penix Jr. is the runaway favorite right now for the Heisman.”

Penix will have a few more games to strengthen his case to win the Heisman Trophy. Not just personally, where McElroy looked back a the Oregon game and believes there is room for improvement. Also at the team level, though, with Washington having a tough schedule moving forward.

The pieces are certainly on the Washington roster for Penix to eventually play an A+ game. Seeing Penix reach a new level is a scary thought for the rest of college football, potentially making an already high-powered offense nearly unstoppable.